Highlighting a decline in US intelligence and capabilities post-withdrawal, a US study advocated for renewed collaboration between the United States and Pakistan, particularly in combating militants and ensuring sustained US access to Pakistani airspace.
The study was carried out by a Senior Study Group on Counterterrorism in Afghanistan and Pakistan convened by a policy think tank, the United States Institute of Peace. The group convened in 2022 to examine the counterterrorism challenge from the region in light of the US withdrawal and growing strategic competition. The study group is a bipartisan group of experts, bringing a range of policy, scholarly, operational, and analytical experience related to terrorism, counterterrorism, and South Asia policy issues.
According to the study report, published on May 14, during the Afghanistan war, Pakistan emerged as a leading recipient of US aid. However, US officials harboured suspicions that Islamabad was maintaining a duplicitous stance, nurturing the Taliban.
The Biden administration has displayed limited interest in engaging with Islamabad, a reluctance exacerbated by the turbulent political landscape within Pakistan.
Laurel Miller, co-chair of the study group and former US special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, remarked on the prevailing sentiment within the highest echelons of the US government. She noted a prevailing aversion towards Pakistan, stemming from experiences during the two-decade engagement in Afghanistan.
Despite this distrust, Miller acknowledged the geopolitical realities, emphasizing Afghanistan’s adjacency to Pakistan, which currently serves as a haven for terrorist organizations. She asserted the inevitability of maintaining a relationship with Pakistan to safeguard US interests in the region.
Miller also highlighted the influence of India’s “zero-sum view” on US policy towards Pakistan. India, a burgeoning partner of the US, has consistently critiqued American ties with its historical adversary, Pakistan.
The study recommended that the United States communicate clear repercussions to Pakistan in the event of militants based in the country launching attacks against India.
Co-chaired by retired Army Lieutenant General Michael Nagata, the study group comprised former US ambassadors to Pakistan and Afghanistan, Anne Patterson and Michael McKinley, respectively, alongside eminent scholars.
May 15, 2024
Source: United States Peace Institute